I’ve done a lot of work on my car this past year. From a functional perspective, much of this hasn’t been necessary, but from a maintenance perspective, it has been great. I’ve learned a lot this year and have actually had quite a bit of fun, and wanted to share some of my stories. Hub […]
Thoughts on Currency
I don’t have a background in finance, so there are a number of concepts about banking and currency that are way over my head, but the most interesting thing that I’ve started to pick up on over the past few years is that the topics of banking and currency are still being figured out: nobody […]
Creatively Small Appliances: Their Advantages and Disadvantages
Several years ago, I learned about the existence of mini-washing machines. I thought they were super cool. I had spent several years volunteering with refugees, and one issue with the apartments they lived in was the lack of washer and drier hookups. To avoid the cost and hassle of going to a laundromat, many would […]
Income Levels and Whether it Makes Sense to Buy a House
For the past year or so, it’s occurred to me that people at the lowest income levels are usually getting screwed by most policies. Not only is there very little money left over after expenses for things like contributions to a 401(k), but the tax incentives are almost nil for that anyway. Prices skew toward […]
The Quest for a Robust Philosophy of Investing
I’ve recently been writing a post on how the physical structure of a house can positively or negatively affect the overall cost of the house. In the process, I started wondering what exactly the mechanism of growth is for real estate, and off the top of my head, it occurred to me that an increasing […]
Money and Judgement!
What does it mean to be “good” with money? Does it mean spending very little of it, spending a small portion of it relative to one’s income, spending it judiciously, or does it consist of some other quality? Conversely, what does it mean to be “bad” with money? Does it mean spending a lot of […]
Thought Games of Political Economy
I’m not yet ready to commit myself to any serious study of macroeconomics: it’s simply too large of a field, with too many interconnecting pieces. I don’t know that my interests will actually help me go very deep here. But I think thought games can do a great deal to help anybody think clearly about […]
Consumer Goods as a Proxy for Value
As a kid, half my life was spent thirsting for the next toy or video game. I could occasionally save up my allowance to buy nice or expensive things, but I would often have to rely on the luck of Christmas or my birthday for the those much more expensive things, especially video game consoles. […]
Failing at ‘Optimal’
A lot of effort goes into finding the most optimal paths for various aspects of life. My thoughts gravitate toward finding this on a regular basis, but the truth seems ever elusive. I get tired. I get frustrated. Recently, my car developed a thunk going over bumps, in conjunction with a slight creak whenever I […]
Minimalism: Stuff Quantity vs. Stuff Size
Well, it finally happened: I ordered a PS2. Of all the things I’ve gotten rid of over the years, the PS2 is one of very, very few things I have regretted getting rid of. Downsizing the collection of video games wasn’t bad in itself, but I ultimately blocked myself from ever playing certain games normally […]